Welcome to the Piano World Piano ForumsOver 2 million posts about pianos, digital pianos, and all types of keyboard instruments
Join the World's Largest Community of Piano Lovers
(it's free)
It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!

Who is your favourite pianist? Mine would have to be the French pianist Helene Grimaud. She has unbelievable talent and clearly has a feel and a love for what she does which is apparent when she plays. I would love to have her keyboard skills but sadly that is never going to be the case.

She has unbelievable talent and clearly has a feel and a love for what she does which is apparent when she plays.

This describes many pianists. Surely it cannot be your only reason.

But some pianists are better than others. Even at professional level. Leonard Bernstein was a one of a kind artist. I was never fond of his flamboyant conducting ways, but he was one of the finest pianists around. Helene Grimaund is another such pianist. Some pianist play well but show they have no feeling and look like programmed robots.

I really really enjoy Horrowitz on a number of pieces and composers, particularly his Chopin, Rachmaninoff, & Liszt. I find his musical ideas so sensational and original. Amidst so many piano player that simply have technique, horrowitz seems to be able to dream at the piano. I think overall, he's my favorite pianists simply because of how much imagination is found in his playing.

I love Arrau's Beethoven, mostly. I do enjoy Barrenboim's a lot, but I haven't listened to all the Sonatas by him.

I don't have one. Why would I? The idea seems limiting to me, and for no good reason.

Limiting indeed. I think John O'Conor's remark about recordings applies here: "People who are not pianists can have favourite recordings of things; but people who are pianists need to keep their own integrity."

[quote=HNBLimiting indeed. I think John O'Conor's remark about recordings applies here: "People who are not pianists can have favourite recordings of things; but people who are pianists need to keep their own integrity." [/quote]

Huh, interesting. I consider myself to be a pianist, and I count a couple of John O'Connor recordings among my favorites......Like most of us, I have strong views and think deeply about various facets of/in my work (whether, or not, I'm any good at it - that's not for me to decide) but I'm still a fan of many other pianist's recordings.

Even when their interpretive viewpoints are much different than mine.

I'd feel kind of glum if I ever lost the ability to be a fan (of a recording, or of individual pianists). I hope that I'm not mis-reading his statement.

The "why's," for me, are usually ephemeral in this matter. My current favorite pianist is Andras Schiff.

Edited by Gerard12 (12/10/1208:16 AM)

_________________________
Piano performance and instruction (former college music professor).

if, upon capture by the CIA, i was waterboarded and forced to pick one, it would probably be murray perahia for his clarity of purpose. if allowed to recant, it would be martha for her vivacious performances. if they still didn't believe me i would change my pick to gilels, whose transcendent expression surely the CIA would have to accept. if they still didn't believe me i'd go with horowitz for all the obvious reasons, but given he was russian i might have to pick another, and they surely couldn't argue with van cliburn who, after all, beat the ruskies at their own game.

I don't have one. Why would I? The idea seems limiting to me, and for no good reason.

Limiting indeed. I think John O'Conor's remark about recordings applies here: "People who are not pianists can have favourite recordings of things; but people who are pianists need to keep their own integrity."

Not a view shared by many world class concert pianists, though when asked they usually answer with the name of a long-deceased pianist. From the many, many interviews I've heard or read, the names of Horowitz, Richter, Cortot and Schnabel come up most often....often followed by their teachers.

_________________________
"I don't play accurately - anyone can play accurately - but I play with wonderful expression. As far as the piano is concerned, sentiment is my forte. I keep science for Life."

I don't have one. Why would I? The idea seems limiting to me, and for no good reason.

Limiting indeed. I think John O'Conor's remark about recordings applies here: "People who are not pianists can have favourite recordings of things; but people who are pianists need to keep their own integrity."

Not a view shared by many world class concert pianists, though when asked they usually answer with the name of a long-deceased pianist. From the many, many interviews I've heard or read, the names of Horowitz, Richter, Cortot and Schnabel come up most often....often followed by their teachers.

That's because they are used to doing interviews and know what is expected of them.

pianoloverus
Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
Registered: 05/29/01
Posts: 19946
Loc: New York City

Originally Posted By: HNB

Originally Posted By: wr

Originally Posted By: adultpianist

Who is your favourite pianist?

I don't have one. Why would I? The idea seems limiting to me, and for no good reason.

Limiting indeed. I think John O'Conor's remark about recordings applies here: "People who are not pianists can have favourite recordings of things; but people who are pianists need to keep their own integrity."

What does having favorite pianists have to do with keeping integrity? A silly statement IMO. I feel the same about saying that having favorite pianist(s) is somehow "limiting".

if, upon capture by the CIA, i was waterboarded and forced to pick one, it would probably be murray perahia for his clarity of purpose. if allowed to recant, it would be martha for her vivacious performances. if they still didn't believe me i would change my pick to gilels, whose transcendent expression surely the CIA would have to accept. if they still didn't believe me i'd go with horowitz for all the obvious reasons, but given he was russian i might have to pick another, and they surely couldn't argue with van cliburn who, after all, beat the ruskies at their own game.

The waterboarding will continue until you pick ONE!!! Now... who is your favorite???

I don't have one. Why would I? The idea seems limiting to me, and for no good reason.

Limiting indeed. I think John O'Conor's remark about recordings applies here: "People who are not pianists can have favourite recordings of things; but people who are pianists need to keep their own integrity."

What does having favorite pianists have to do with keeping integrity? A silly statement IMO. I feel the same about saying that having favorite pianist(s) is somehow "limiting".

PL is right. My favorite color is red but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy the rest of the spectrum.

I sometimes find when I hear people say things such as, "I don't have a favorite...It is limiting" to be a bit off putting, and most of the time, pseudo intellectual. I mean, how much you wanna bet some recordings are listened to more then others, but it is whatever, to each their own.

Personally I love the recordings from Murray Perahia, his since of control is amazing. I have greatly enjoyed his discs of Bach, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Mozart and Chopin.

A close second for me is the recordings of Daniel Barenboim, just some of the twists he takes with the music can be breathtaking. And his sense of timing with rubato is just perfect.

It's good that many of us can enjoy many different types of music, as I do, within limits, but this performance was beyond the pale, for me. Nothing but clunk, clunk, clunk! No expression, no sense of line; absolutely static and heavy!

I ask everyone who criticises a musician whether they can play or play better. You obviously can play or you wouldn't be here. I liked the melody to this video.

In my earlier stages of playing, I played for someone who pulled me to pieces and that someone did not have any musical training and so I thought to myself what right do they have to criticise me and tell me I was playing it wrong when they cannot follow a score. They said that the particular piece was played in the wrong rythum and they told me they have heard it played at concerts but not played in my way. I therefore showed them the score and showed them at the bottom where it said arranged by.... I then pointed out that people take traditional music and re-arrange them slightly and I was playing it perfectly for that such arrangement. It may not be the origial arrangemet but it was as it was and I played it as such.